Denmark Dream Job: Design For Araneum

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Denmark Dream Job: Design For Araneum

I've always wanted an excuse to say "something is rockin' in the state of Denmark." And now I have one. There's a job in Copenhagen.

Copenhagen has been referred to as "the Paris of Scandinavia." And this year things have been especially dynamique. The city was chosen by the European Union as the Cultural Capital City of Europe, which means heavy promotion and plenty of cultural activity.

It's a small city of 1 million people. "Everything is within walking distance, and you'll find as many bikes on the road as cars." says Martin GrØnbæk, managing director at Araneum, a Web studio in downtown Copenhagen.

"We're always proud to tell people that Hans Christian Andersen lived in this very building," says Martin. And Araneum plans to stay right where it is, because in the next few years the neighboring Royal Theater Building will be converted into a major cultural center "something like the Centre Pompidou in Paris," says Martin. Staying where it is means keeping the staff under 10 employees. There are only five at the moment, so there are still a few spots left.

One such spot is a design position. Araneum has one designer, Tor, a 20-year-old wiz from Alaska. But with all the business the company is turning away, another is needed. What's more, Martin tells me that Danish Web work has tended to be geared toward the technical rather than the aesthetic. Araneum wants to make a big splash by bringing a much higher caliber of design to the Danes.

Martin spent a year at the University of California, Berkeley, and a year at Columbia University, where he was exposed to the Web. "I can't help being frustrated that things in Denmark are moving so slowly compared to the United States," says Martin. "But at least here there is the assurance that the whole society gains from the advances." There's a big movement to prevent industry from separating society into the haves and have-nots. Like everything else in the country, Denmark's Web vision is a social vision more than a financial one.

And speaking of finances, every employee at Araneum takes home the same pay. Your salary will come to about US$4,200 a month - that's 25,000 kroner for designing for clients such as Novo Nordisk, one of the largest companies in the country. It might seem like a lot, especially when you can get a good-sized apartment for as low as $400. But don't forget, you'll pay 50 percent in taxes. Mon Dieu.